Bilkis Bano Calls Decision To Free Convicts 'Unjust', But Who Is Listening To Her?

Bilkis Bano said she was "bereft of words" and "numb" after 11 men who raped her during the 2002 Gujarat riots, were set free. Bano was gangraped and saw 14 members of her family being murdered by a mob during the 2002 riots. This included her three-year-old daughter. On Monday, 11 convicts who were serving life sentences for rape and murder in the case, walked out of prison to a heroes' welcome.

A video that has since gone viral showed the men lined up outside the Godhra jail while relatives garlanded them, fed them sweets and touched their feet as a a mark of respect.

Bilkis Bano statement on release of convicts calls out injustice

In a late-night statement on Wednesday, Bano called the decision to free the men "unjust" and said it had "shaken" her faith in justice.

"When I heard that the convicts who had devastated my family and life had walked free, I was bereft of words. I am still numb," she said.

"How can justice for any woman end like this? I trusted the highest courts in our land. I trusted the system, and I was learning slowly to live with my trauma. The release of these convicts has taken from me my peace and shaken my faith in justice. My sorrow and my wavering faith is not for myself alone but for every woman who is struggling for justice in the courts. No one enquired about my safety and well-being before taking such a big and unjust decision," she wrote, appealing to the Gujarat government to "undo this harm" and "give me back my right to live without fear and in peace".

Bano, who lives in a relief colony in Dahod with her children and her husband, Yaqub Rasool, has been distressed since news of the government decision reached her on Monday.

On Tuesday, Rasool told The Indian Express, "The battle we fought for so many years has been wrapped up in one moment."

The decision to free the convicts was announced by the Gujarat government on Monday, as India celebrated its 75th anniversary of independence. A senior official said a government panel had approved the application for remission as the men - first convicted by a trial court in 2008 - had spent more than 14 years in jail, and after considering other factors such as their age and behaviour in prison.

The release of convicts is a big blow to Bano and her family, who had a long and nightmarish battle to get justice. On Thursday, dozens of citizens protested against the release of the men in the capital. The protesters defended Bano and called upon the Supreme Court to undo a ‘grave miscarriage of justice’ and to revoke the granted remission. Around 6,000 signatories, including activists, eminent writers, historians, filmmakers, journalists and former bureaucrats urged the apex court to revoke the early release of convicts.

No country safe for women

This remission is one of the biggest setback, and possibly a red flag when it comes to women's safety issues. What should one make of it? Bano's distress compounds as the convicted men are welcomed with garlands and sweets back home. Regardless of why these men were released, it not only nullifies Bano's struggle, but puts thousands of women who face sexual crimes every day at risk.

As per 2020 data, the conviction rate for rape in India is 39.3. However, rape and violence against women still remain the top crimes committed in our country. Most women spend a good proportion of their day and mental resources (whether they realise it or not), adjusting their daily activities, routines and home security measures for the sake of their sexual safety. They shouldn't have to do so, because the onus of respecting women's dignity and consent should fall on men. Witnessing such travesty of justice only emboldens perpetrators and discourages women from holding men accountable.

While Bilkis Bano's perpetrators freely walk the streets, many young girls and women hang their head in disappointment. They do not know, who can they turn to, in order to seek protection from sexual crimes and seek justice if they are attacked. With this move, the country continues to let down its women and remind them that the struggle for equal rights and a safe society is a long battle which is far from over.

Suggested Reading: Bilkis Bano Case: Is Rape A Remittable Crime?